Microsoft 365 vs. Office 2021: Which is the Right Product for You?

What are Microsoft 365 and Office 2021

Nowadays, many businesses have tried to integrate the usage of numerous productivity applications and management solutions. To provide these services to businesses and corporations, Microsoft has introduced two types of applications - Microsoft 365 and Office 2021.

Even though both of these Microsoft products provide similar services to their users, they have some differences when it comes to technicalities. For instance, when using Microsoft 365, companies have the opportunity to use the tool online from any device they wish. This feature has helped many corporations who wish to work remotely to keep their operations organized and well-managed. 

When it comes to choosing which application is the most suitable for your organization, it is essential to understand the differences between Microsoft 365 vs Office 2021 and cater to different types of users and businesses. After understanding the differences between these tools, managers should make it a priority for them to start integrating the usage of one of them to make their business workflow as smooth as possible.

So, before committing to one of them, do some research on the subscription types, payment methods, availability to use online or on other devices, the extent of collaboration allowed, ability to update, and other features that can have an effect on the decision of which tool to use.   

What factors should organizations consider before choosing the right product?

In addition to the offered features, managers should pay close attention to some other factors that can have an impact on the tool’s effectiveness with the business’s operations.  

For instance, some companies use internally designed applications for some parts of their work process. So, before integrating the usage of either Microsoft 365 or Office 2021, these companies should ensure that their application will be compatible with the tool. 

On the other hand, when companies wish to collaborate and work simultaneously on specific projects, ensuring the collaboration abilities of the tool can be an essential factor to consider before choosing the product.

Another factor is the security and the extent of protection that the tool provides. Since these applications are intended to be used for management and software solutions, companies will be required to upload or import some of their confidential information and data into the application to make accessing it easier. However, when an application is not protected and secured to its fullest extent, it can cause a threat for the company to lose some of these files to external sources due to hacking or cyber-attacks. Thus, researching and understanding how secure the application is should be a priority for companies wishing to use the tools.

In addition to security, companies should understand whether the tool provides them with flexibility when needed. To further elaborate, companies might need to change their subscription methods due to an increase in their employment - since they will need additional accounts for the tool. So, when the tool does not provide much flexibility, companies will not be able to change some things, which can lead to a bottleneck in their workflow.

There are many other factors that companies should consider when choosing a tool - such as the ability to access the tool on other devices, how much cloud storage they will get from their subscription, etc. 

To make the decision-making process easier, here are some of the pros and cons of using each product.

Pros and Cons of using each product:

1- Cost 

When using Microsoft 365, companies will have to pay monthly subscription fees as the tool works on a subscription-based model. In other words, a con when using Microsoft 365 is that there are continuous costs.

However, when using Office 2021, companies make a single payment when purchasing the tool, meaning that the costs are lower than Microsoft 365.

2- Different features

Since both applications are Microsoft products, Microsoft 365 allows users to access other Microsoft products - such as Teams, SharePoint, Excel, etc.

However, on the other hand, when using Office 2021, integrating other Microsoft products into the tool is not available. 

3- Availability on different devices

One of the pros of using Microsoft 365 is that the application and its different features can be used on different devices, no matter the size of the screen. This feature makes remote work more accessible, which is not provided when using Office 2021.

Thus, when striving to become more remote based, companies should choose Microsoft 365.

4- Access to cloud integration 

Lastly, Microsoft 365 provides users with some cloud storage space with their monthly subscription. Cloud storage makes it easier for companies to store and keep all their confidential data and files in a single space, instead of having all of them scattered on different devices. 

On the other hand, when using Office 2021, companies will not have any storage space, making it difficult for them to access files easily.

Conclusion 

To conclude, there are pros and cons of using both tools. Nevertheless, there is no right or wrong answer to which tool to choose as the decision is based on a business’s preferences.